Iowa vs. South Carolina NCAA women’s basketball Final Four box score, highlights, live updates recap

DALLAS — They were facing a massive size advantage, but the Iowa Hawkeyes sure didn’t shrink from the moment.

Caitlin Clark scored 41 points, and third-ranked Iowa stunned No. 1 South Carolina, 77-73, in an NCAA women’s basketball national semifinal before a sellout crowd of 19,288 Friday night at American Airlines Center.

Iowa (31-6) snapped South Carolina’s 42-game winning streak, and will face No. 9 LSU (33-2) for the national championship at 2:30 Sunday afternoon (ABC).

LSU rallied past No. 4 Virginia Tech, 79-72.

The Hawkeyes answered every challenge that South Carolina (36-1) could muster. After the Gamecocks took a 60-59 lead on Aliyah Boston’s basket with 9:05 left, the Hawkeyes scored the next five points — a Clark 3-pointer, then a Clark dish to Monika Czinano — and led the rest of the way.

Clark hit 15 of 31 shots from the floor, and nailed all six of her free throws.

South Carolina got within 69-68, 71-69, 73-71 and 75-73, but the Hawkeyes held them off each time.

The Hawkeyes prevailed despite a 49-25 rebounding disadvantage and 26 offensive rebounds by the Gamecocks.

— Jeff Linder